Images courtesy of C&G Partners.
The New Jersey Hall of Fame celebrates the ‘Garden State’, honors its legends and aims to inspire visitors of all generations. The 10,000-square-foot space captures the energy and passion of more than 200 Hall of Famers through fascinating memorabilia and immersive, interactive experiences. By highlighting the achievements of the legends, the exhibition also inspires visitors to pursue their own passions.
Two large LED displays welcome visitors before large-scale interactive exhibits invite them to share personal moments with digital Hall of Famers. In ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ visitors take a trip to the moon and learn about an old Model T. They can sing alongside digital music legends on the ‘Karaoke’ stage or interview New Jersey celebrities in a broadcast studio. The New Jersey Theater presents Hall of Famers’ notable moments and achievements, while visitors can learn more about each inductee on a gesture-activated New Jersey map.
Electrosonic, working in partnership with C&G Partners, Cortina Productions, Donna Lawrence Productions and Northern Lights, designed and integrated the LED displays, a simulator ride system, projections as well as audio, control and music systems throughout five exhibits.
The New Jersey Hall of Fame Foundation wanted to create an immersive, interactive space that would showcase New Jersey while recognizing and celebrating the icons and everyday heroes who have contributed to the state’s reputation. The goal was to excite, inform and involve visitors in learning more about the achievements of many outstanding New Jersey men and women.
Technology was key to the exhibition’s goals of helping visitors understand and appreciate what it took for individuals to achieve the highest honors by telling their stories and providing in-depth information. To achieve this, the Foundation needed a partner with expertise in creating Hall of Fame experiences and the ability to collaborate with designers and content producers.
The exhibits presented a number of technical challenges. Fly Me to the Moon, for example, incorporates an immersive dome that required complex projection and integration with a MediaMation ride system. For the Karaoke stage, the designers wanted to utilize Peppers Ghost technology to recreate musical icons. The curved screen in the Theater needed special projection studies, while the interactive Jersey map required the integration of cameras, projections and sensors with content about more than 200 individuals. A unified control system was essential to centrally manage audio and video systems throughout the Hall of Fame.
Electrosonic is highly experienced in developing and delivering large-scale Hall of Fame solutions, with award-winning installations at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Mascot Hall of Fame and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. These projects require high levels of collaboration as well as an ability to create seamless holistic solutions delivered by comprehensive services at every stage.
At the Design stage, Electrosonic collaborated with creative designers C&G Partners and content producers Cortina Productions, Northern Lights and Donna Lawrence Productions. Electrosonic provided Technology Design Consulting services covering Audiovisual and Control System Design, Digital Communications & Media Walls, Immersive Technologies, Specialty Projection, Audio and Acoustics and Security, Surveillance and Access Control.
At the Build stage, Electrosonic provided comprehensive services, including Content Distribution, Project Management, Detailed Engineering, Installation and Integration, System Commissioning and Programming, Media Management and Documentation Management.
To ensure the solution would continue to operate reliably, Electrosonic provided a full-time on-site technician to deliver Training, Managed Services, Warranty Support and On-Site Maintenance and Repair.
While complex integration was essential throughout, the turnkey ride and domed projection system for FlyMe to the Moon provided the greatest challenge. It required close coordination between ride specialists, content producers and technology partners to meet demanding state approvals.
Experiential technology has created a virtual environment where visitors can learn more about New Jersey icons, explore the influences that shaped them and even interact with them in a ‘live’ performance or interview.
The investment in technology has delivered a high-quality, engaging visitor experience that would not be possible with static exhibits.
The solution meets the objectives of the owners who wanted to create a fun experience that would inform and inspire visitors while celebrating the achievements of New Jersey’s icons and everyday heroes. This is a Hall of Fame that goes beyond the expectations of a digital generation that demands more from venues. It meets the continuing demand for in-person experiences while offering a choice of interactive and virtual installations that allow visitors to create their own personalized journeys through the space.
Client:
New Jersey Hall of Fame Foundation
Location:
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Size:
10,000 square feet
Project partners:
C&G Partners, Cortina Productions, Donna Lawrence Productions, Northern Lights
Technology partners:
Christie, Nanolumens, QSC, Samsung
Services
Visitors first encounter ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ - an epic voyage that brings life to New Jersey’s many contributions to space exploration. Visitors board a simulation of the Model T car presented to Thomas Edison by Henry Ford. Once strapped into motion chairs inside a 180-degree immersive dome, they ride through space and time.
Complex dome projection and immersive audio recreate the illusion of space and highlight achievements such as Buzz Aldrin’s historic moon landing and a visit to the International Space Station, where Mark and Scott Kelly share memories of space exploration.
Next, visitors take the opportunity to sing along on the Karaoke stage with New Jersey’s greatest music legends, including Jon Bon Jovi, Gloria Gaynor, Frankie Valli and Bruce Springstein. Electrosonic recreated the stars using Pepper’s Ghost technology, which projects virtual images of the singers onto the stage in a ‘live performance’.
Electrosonic developed the Pepper’s Ghost icons and provided the projection and audio systems that enabled visitors to perform onstage alongside the stars.
Moving to the New Jersey theater, visitors view a short film by Donna Lawrence Productions. The film incorporates footage of Hall of Famers from films and television, musical performances, acceptance speeches and notable moments in history.
Together, the film’s elements highlight the struggles and triumphs of the inductees, culminating in their rise to success. Electrosonic designed and integrated the audio and projection systems that overcome the challenges of projection onto a curved screen and create an immersive cinematic experience.
Visitors can interview their favorite stars as ‘hosts’ of a virtual Late-Night Jersey TV Program in a special broadcast space. Visitors ask a series of set questions that focus on inductees’ career highlights. ‘Guests’ such as actors Danny DeVito and Jason Alexander, Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez and journalist Connie Chung appear as holograms using green screen technology and respond with pre-recorded answers that relate their inspirational success stories. To create the illusion of a live interview, Electrosonic integrated a transparent LCD screen that allows visitors talk directly to the inductees.
Visitors can explore the lives of Hall of Famers on a gesture-activated interactive New Jersey map. The map enables guests to learn more about a famous New Jerseyan by selecting a name on the three-dimensional model. They can then interact with content projected onto the table.
Electrosonic integrated the ceiling projection system with the gesture-activated technology and content delivery system to ensure a seamless experience.
See why technology plays a leading role in enhancing the power of storytelling by bringing your stories to life and creating experiences that leave powerful, lasting memories.
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